


'Cause Here They Come

by bevinkathryn



Series: Pole Dancing AU [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bottom Arthur, Established Relationship, M/M, Pole Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-02
Updated: 2013-07-02
Packaged: 2017-12-17 12:10:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/867390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bevinkathryn/pseuds/bevinkathryn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At Lance's bachelor party, Merlin gives an impromptu performance on the pole, and a persistent stranger makes assumptions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'Cause Here They Come

**Author's Note:**

> Squeezing out a quick update written frantically between work. I could not for the life of me find a video that was anything close to what I wanted for the routine, so I decided to just use the video that inspired this fic in the first place (featuring an insanely talented dancer whose videos are all amazing).
> 
> Read on [my lj](http://silverwings2020.livejournal.com/7459.html).

“— _mama told me how to live my life, she said spread your wings, my little butterfly—“_  
  
Arthur jumped at the sudden blast of unfamiliar music, and then sighed when he realized its source.  
  
“What did I say about changing my ringtone,  _Mer_ lin?” he sighed into his mobile.  
  
“Can’t recall a thing,” Merlin’s voice replied mock-innocently.  Arthur snorted, tucking the mobile against his shoulder to continue dressing.  
  
“Of course you can’t.”  
  
“Anyway, I’m just getting off the train.  Do you need me to pick anything up for tonight from the shop?”  
  
“I’ve got a fridge full of beer and enough alcohol in the cabinet to satisfy even Percival,” Arthur answered.  He heard Merlin chuckle.  
  
“What about food?  It’ll be late when we make it back to yours, and you know how Leon gets when he’s drunk.  You have enough, don’t you?”  
  
“I think there’s some crisps in the pantry if someone gets hungry.”  
  
Merlin made a displeased sound.  “You  _think_?  What a crap host you are.  You can’t have people over if you don’t have food, Arthur.”  
  
“It’s a bachelor party, not a garden luncheon,” Arthur pointed out with a snort.  “All we need is booze, and I have far too much of that considering everyone will probably get drunk at the club first, anyway.  All we’re doing at mine is having a nightcap and passing out on whatever vertical surface we can find.  Haven’t you ever been to a bachelor do before?”  
  
This time it was Merlin who snorted.  “You’ve met my mates.  Not exactly the marrying kind, are they?”  He paused long enough for Arthur to remember Will and then added, “I’m gonna pop by Sainsbury’s for some snacks, at least.”  
  
“If you must,” Arthur shrugged.  Merlin huffed at him over the phone.  
  
“I must if you insist on being a stingy prat.  Be at yours in a few.”  
  
He hung up, and Arthur shook his head fondly as he returned to digging through his closet.  He shifted through the army of work shirts and his less formal t-shirts (a collection which he noticed had grown substantially since he’d met Merlin), looking for something appropriate for both the chilly weather outside and the club they were going to to celebrate Lance’s bachelor party.  Eventually he settled on a dark button-down and tighter-than-normal jeans, and had just put the finishing touches on his hair when he heard the front door clatter open, and Merlin shouting, “Arthur?”  
  
“In the bedroom!” he shouted back.  Merlin said nothing else, so Arthur went out to meet him, and found him cheerfully stowing his armful of crisp bags into various cupboards.  
  
“I thought you said you were just getting a few snacks,” he said in slight alarm at the amount of food on his counter.  “Don’t put those in there—Merlin, I have a pantry for a  _reason_.”  
  
“You take care of it then,” Merlin said cheekily, hopping on to the counter and making a shooing motion with his hands.  Arthur raised his eyebrow at him.  Merlin raised one right back.  
  
“Fine,” Arthur sighed, and moved over to grab a packet of hobnobs that was in danger of falling.  Before he could, though, Merlin reached out and wrapped a hand around his wrist, tugging him until he stood between the ‘v’ of his legs and leaning in for a quick kiss that was broken with a smile and Merlin murmuring, “You look nice.”  
  
“Thank you.  So do you.”  Which was true.  Merlin was wearing jeans, too, tighter than Arthur’s, especially around the ankle, and a red v-neck that bared his throat and a hint of his collarbones to Arthur’s pleased gaze.  His hair was its usual careless flop, and Arthur ran his hands through it with a smile.  “How was work today?”  
  
Merlin shrugged and hooked his fingers lazily through Arthur’s belt loops.  “Went alright.  My interviewee was dull as a brick but Gaius thinks the story is interesting enough to pursue anyway.  You?”  
  
“Same as always.  Gwen kept trying to get me to tell her what we’re doing tonight.  Like Lance won’t tell her the instant he gets home, if he hasn’t already.”  Merlin chuckled.  Arthur leaned forward for another brief kiss.  “Come on, let’s pack the food away and get going before we’re late.”  
  
“I don’t think punctuality matters much at a bachelor do, Arthur,” Merlin pointed out, but he hopped off the counter anyway, and even helped put away a few of the bags before grabbing his coat and Arthur’s.  
  
The party itself was more a meeting between mates at a gay-friendly club near Lance’s flat than an actual bachelor party.  Lance had originally planned it to just be a lad’s night in, but Merlin had convinced him to at least go out for his last hurrah.  Percy and Leon were already waiting outside the club when they arrived.  Elyan, Gwen’s brother and man of honor, showed up a moment later, and then finally Lance.  
  
“The man of the hour,” Elyan crowed, throwing an arm around his shoulders and giving him a little shake.  “Ready to celebrate your last night of freedom from my sister?”  
  
“You say that like marrying Gwen is a bad thing,” Lance said with an amused expression.  
  
“They don’t call it the ball and chain for nothing,” Percy pointed out.  
  
“That’s some way for the maid of honor to talk, Elyan,” Merlin teased.  He shivered slightly in the chilly air, and Arthur automatically put an arm around him for warmth.  Merlin snuck a smile up at him.  
  
“ _Man_  of honor.”  
  
“If you say so.”  
  
“You’re just cocky because you got best man,” Elyan laughed, and Merlin didn’t even bother trying to deny it, smirking smugly at the laughing group.  
  
“How  _did_  you manage to beg off of planning the hen do, anyway?” Percy asked.  
  
“Believe it or not, Gwen wasn’t overly eager to have her older brother plan anything for her,” Elyan said wryly, drawing more laughter from the others.  
  
“Alright,” Arthur said finally, “are we going in or are we gonna gossip outside all night?”  
  
“Ground rules first!” Elyan insisted.  “Lance doesn’t pay for a drink all night.  No pulling.  And you two—“ he pointed at Merlin and Arthur, “no couple-y business.”  
  
“What couple-y business?” Arthur blinked, stopping the motion of his hand rubbing Merlin’s arm just as Merlin asked, “Why not?”  
  
“Because tonight is about celebrating Lance’s last night of freedom.  You two aren’t allowed to cramp his style.”  
  
Arthur rose an eyebrow at Elyan’s word usage, but obligingly dropped his arm anyway.  Merlin gave him an amused glance before turning back to Elyan.  “Alright, deal.  Can we get drunk now?”  
  
“We absolutely can,” Leon replied, grinning.

\---

  
Merlin and Arthur dutifully stuck to their no-couple rule as the group got merrily sloshed in the club, surrounded by the sounds of a crowd of people, most of whom were uni students, laughing and dancing and occasionally shouting over the music.  Merlin, as best man, bought the first round, and settled in between Lance and Percy for the next, his cheeks already slightly rosy from the drinks.  There were a few poles lined up around the club, mostly occupied by giggling women with drinks in their hands, hardly doing more than grinding against the metal, and Arthur caught Merlin eyeing them a few times throughout the night.  
  
It was all going fine, until Leon went to fetch the next round, and returned with a girl in tow.  
  
“Are you the groom to be?” the girl shouted over the music, leaning over the table towards Lance, who nodded.  
  
“I’m Lance,” he shouted back.  
  
“Mithian.”  The girl smiled, and extended a hand.  
  
“Lovely to meet you, Mithian,” Lance  replied, ever the gentleman, even when tipsy.  “Would you like to join us?”  
  
Mithian smiled again and leaned closer, like she was sharing a secret.  “Why don’t  _you_  join  _me_?  I was just on my way to the dance floor.”  
  
“Oh—no, I couldn’t—“ Lance started, but Leon interrupted him.  
  
“You can’t just sit here all night on your bachelor party!” he insisted, giving Lance a hearty clap on the back.  “Come on, get up and dance!”  
  
She took Lance by the hand and coaxed him out of the booth, giggling at his flaming cheeks and saying, “One dance, that’s all!”  She began to walk backwards towards the dance floor, and Lance turned to seize Merlin’s wrist to pull him along, too.  Merlin went along with it happily, letting himself be towed along with a cheerful wave behind him before the crowd swallowed them.  Arthur could just barely make out the three of them from where he was sitting.  Lance seemed torn between his utter devotion to Gwen and the knowledge that this was his last night out before the wedding at first, but he compromised by dancing mostly with Merlin, leaving Mithian to laugh and dance around them as Merlin playfully danced back-to-front with Lance.  
  
He brought his attention back to the table when Elyan slammed his drink onto the table and declared, “There’s no way I’m sitting here and letting Lance have all the fun.  Who’s joining?”  
  
Leon volunteered, and after downing the rest of their drinks Arthur and Percy got up to join them.  The others welcomed them happily, and Mithian somehow managed to conjure up more of her friends.  They all settled into companionable patterns, laughing and switching partners when the urge took them, no real method beyond just having fun.   
  
“Drinks!” Percy shouted during the second song, and they all cheered like he’d made a great discovery as he doled out glasses.  From there, the night melted together from song to song and drink to drink, and before Arthur knew it they’d been out there for several songs, and he was more than a little bit drunk but it was okay, because everyone else was too.  Lance was by far the worst, but the girls just laughed and patted him on the cheek when he stepped on their toes.  
  
Arthur kept a lazy eye on Merlin, mostly out of instinct, but he seemed to be pacing himself well enough as he twirled one of the girls around in a mockery of a waltz.  He might’ve been jealous, if not for the goofy, not-at-all flirty grins he gave her, and the quick wink he sent Arthur’s way when he caught him looking.  
 _  
“Rule number one, is that you gotta have fun…”_  
  
“Oh, fuck, I love this song!” Mithian shouted, dragging Leon even closer as the song thumped around them.  Arthur was dancing with one of Mithian’s friends—the blonde one, Elena—who  jumped more than she danced and seemed to have twelve limbs that Arthur had to dodge.  By the end of the song, Arthur was breathless from trying to catch up, but smiling as he excused himself and escaped to where Percy was taking a breather a few feet away.  
  
“Having a good time?” Percy asked him, grinning at Arthur’s flushed cheeks.  
  
“That last one almost killed me,” Arthur laughed back, pushing his fringe out of his eyes.  Percy snorted and passed Arthur another drink.  “Ah, cheers.”  
  
They clinked glasses, and Arthur settled in to watch his friends.  Lance had long since gotten over his shyness and was now dancing with two of Mithian’s friends.  Elyan was dancing front-to-front with another, and Leon was still dancing with Mithian.  Arthur suddenly realized that he hadn’t seen either of them switch partners for several songs now, which was dangerously close to breaking the rules, but when he saw them smile shyly at each other, decided not to call them out on it.  
  
Elena was on her own now, but that didn’t seem to bother her at all as she twirled gracelessly around.  Arthur smiled, but the smile melted away as his eyes scanned the area and found no sign of his boyfriend.  
  
“Where’s Merlin?” he leaned over to ask Percy.  
  
“Loo, I think.”  Percy pointed vaguely over to the right, towards where a girl was dancing on the pole nearest to them.  She was wearing tiny shorts and a tank top, swinging the shirt she had obviously just taken off around her head like a lasso as she shimmied around the pole.  The few simple spins she managed around the pole were shaky at best, but the crowd cheered her on anyway.  Arthur grinned as the girl stumbled, drunk but obviously not at all embarrassed as she shook her bum one more time before scrambling down off the platform.  
  
A few people near the pole laughed and shoved each other towards it, but no one seemed actually drunk enough to get up on the platform.  Arthur quickly lost interest and turned back to Percy, but before he could say anything Lance stumbled up to them, hair mussed and mouth spread into a hazy, happy smile.  
  
“Arthur,” Lance started, throwing a clumsy arm around Arthur’s neck and giving him a little shake.  “ _Arthur_.  Your boyfriend?  Is a  _genius_.”  
  
“Yeah?” Arthur asked, hiding his grin in his drink.  He’d never seen Lance this drunk before, and it was proving to be just as amusing as he’d imagined.  
  
“ _Yeah_ ,” Lance said, a little louder than necessary.  “Know why?”  Arthur shook his head.  “Because he—‘lena was gonna get on the pole for me, see?  ‘cause it’s my stag do, and she said…she said you can’t have a stag do wit’out strippers.”  He held up a stern finger, as if passing along vital information.  Percy coughed to disguise his snigger.  “But I said I can’t have a girl stripper because I’m getting married, see?  So Merlin said  _he’d_  be my stripper!”  
  
Arthur choked on his drink.  On his other side, Percy roared with laughter while Lance clumsily thumped Arthur on the back, looking concerned.  
  
“Merlin said what?” Arthur finally managed, throat still burning.  Lance frowned.  
  
“He’s gonna dance for me, so Gwen won’t be upset,” he said, and suddenly widened his eyes.  “Is that okay?  Can Merlin be my stripper?”  
Arthur wanted to laugh, but Lance’s painfully earnest face made him swallow it down and say, seriously, “Of course he can be your stripper, Lance.”  
  
Immediately, Lance’s face brightened, and he leaned forward to kiss Arthur’s cheek—which might have been weird, if they hadn’t been drunk, and if it wasn’t Lance—before tottering off back to report to the group.  A few of the girls flashed thumbs up at Arthur, who raised a glass at them, and Elena made frantic waving motions at them.  
  
“Guys, come on, we’re gonna get a better view!” she shouted, bounding over to drag them forward.  Arthur didn’t even bother pretending to resist, and they settled into a spot just beyond the crowd, and Arthur finally caught sight of Merlin as he broke through the line of people milling around the pole.  People had mostly lost interest in pretending to step up to the pole, so only a few people seemed to notice Merlin approach.  Some of them watched curiously when he stepped up on the podium, but no one said anything as he [took the pole in hand](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTMjzv22FuQ)—testing its balance, Arthur supposed.  
  
The girls giggled to each other and threw Arthur knowing looks as Merlin did a few lazy, easy spins, barely even taking his feet off of the floor as he warmed to the pole and to the music.  A few more people took notice of the stranger on the pole when Elena cat called loudly for him, but none of them seemed to care much.  He was the only man up on the stage, but the three women occupying some of the other poles were doing much more interesting things, so for the most part the crowd ignored him.  
  
At least until Merlin paused to search out Arthur in the crowd.  And grinned.  
  
The music was still thumping through the speakers, so Merlin let his body move to it.  He wasn’t quite as steady as usual, but he was considerably more stable than those around him even as he continued doing quick, easy spins to tease the crowd.  It reminded Arthur of the first routine he’d ever seen of Merlin’s so he was expecting it when Merlin leapt up quickly onto the pole, spinning once around with just his arms before letting his torso fall and his legs rise so that he was spinning upside down, and quickly shifted into a split.  
  
The crowd, however, wasn’t, and cheered loudly for it.  Arthur distinctly heard someone shout, “Holy shit!” as Merlin unfolded himself and swung himself down to stand back on the platform.  He ground his arse against the pole cheekily—earning several cat calls in the process—and then turned back to the pole to inch his way up high enough to be able to flip, spin, and split without having to worry about hitting the stage.  
  
“Go Merlin!” Elyan shouted as if they were at a footie match.  Percy put his fingers to his mouth and whistled.  
  
“Christ, he’s more flexible than I am,” one of the girls observed, while another demanded, “Where the fuck did you find him, Arthur?”  Lance was staring at Merlin in such awe it was almost as though he’d never seen him perform before.  
  
Elena, however, had the best reaction when she turned to Arthur with wide eyes and said, “Holy fuck, are you actually dating a stripper?” which made Arthur laugh so hard her couldn’t answer her.  
  
Up on the pole, Arthur saw Merlin laugh too before sliding into a perfectly executed spin.  He still wasn’t moving as quickly as he usually did, though that was probably because of the drinks he’d had.  There was also the slightest of pauses before each move, as if Merlin was taking extra care with them, and he fumbled his grip more than a few times.  The crowd, however, loved it.  Merlin had attracted more than a fair amount of attention as he let the club vibe ease him into being sexier than his routines usually called for, ruffling his own hair and arching his back just that little bit more, saving his coyest smiles for when he glanced over at where Arthur was still standing.  
  
“You lucky bastard!” Leon shouted into Arthur’s ear as Merlin swiveled his hips between moves.  Arthur smug reply was choked off by Leon’s firm slap to his shoulder, but he smirked anyway.  
  
Most of the girls on the other poles had stopped dancing by now as Merlin laughed and shimmied back up high onto the pole.  The music was winding down, so Merlin let himself go where it took him.  He went back into an upside down split, but this time hooked an elbow around the pole for support as he bent his back enough to touch his head with his toes.  He spun again, just a little too fast to be wise, but he was clearly having fun as the crowd whooped, and Lance tried to whistle, and Arthur sat back to watch it all.  
  
He knew Merlin was sexy.  He knew the curve of Merlin’s body and what he could do with it, knew how Merlin looked when he came and when Arthur caught him eating on his leather sofa, knew the tiny, secret smile Merlin got when they were alone, and Merlin wanted to kiss and touch and lick until they were both exhausted.  But knowing that was nothing like seeing strangers getting a glimpse of it.  
  
Merlin had captivated his audience, there was no doubt about it.  Though most of them were still dancing, their faces were turned towards Merlin, alternatively cheering and just staring as he performed for them—for Arthur.  Because there was no doubt in Arthur’s mind that Merlin was dancing solely for him.  Merlin made a point of searching him out every time he paused for breath, and though he smiled and winked at the others, he saved his genuine smiles for Arthur.  It was making him buzz with love and lust in equal measure, knowing that Merlin was his, that of all the people staring at Merlin now Arthur was the only one who got to have him.  
  
Merlin only stayed on the pole for one full song.  The crowd whistled for him as he stepped down with a cheeky laugh and a wave before getting caught up in the next song, forgetting about the boy on the pole almost immediately as only a group of intoxicated people can.  Lance led their own group in a round of cheers before they jumped back into their own dancing, freshly supplied with booze.  Arthur, however, hung back, watching as Merlin made his way towards them.  
  
The low lighting in the club and the ever-shifting crowd made it hard to tell, but Arthur fancied he could see the flush on Merlin’s cheeks and the wicked gleam in his eye.  Merlin grinned when he caught Arthur’s eye.  
  
“Show off,” Arthur muttered to no one in particular, but didn’t take his eyes off of Merlin.  
  
The crowd heaved, and suddenly a man was standing in front of Merlin, making him stumble to a halt.  The man put a hand on his arm as if to sturdy him, but didn’t release him once Merlin had found his feet and shot him a grateful smile.  Instead, he leaned in and murmured something to Merlin.  Merlin looked surprised, and then smiled bashfully, so Arthur assumed the man was complimenting his performance.  Jealousy started to creep in on his buzzed arousal, but he forced himself to stay where he was.  He trusted Merlin.  That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep an eye on the man, though, so he saw it when Merlin murmured something—a thank you, by the looks of things—and tried to step past the man, only to have the stranger tighten his grip and lean in even closer.  
  
Arthur stiffened.  Merlin’s face had gone from flattered to confused, and he was leaning away from the man, obviously trying to back away.  The man was still talking, ignoring Merlin’s increasingly irritated expression until finally Merlin pushed his hand off and snapped something in reply before turning to stomp towards Arthur.  The man refused to be shaken off so easily, though, and grabbed Merlin again before he could even take two steps, using Merlin’s surprise to tug him close enough to murmur something right in his ear and to reach down with his free hand and grab Merlin’s crotch.  
  
Rage exploded in Arthur.  He stormed forward, not caring when he ran into a neighboring group in his need to just  _get to Merlin_.  He was so focused on it he almost missed Merlin’s wordless shout, followed by the sharp slap as he brought his hand up to the man’s face.  The man released him and stumbled back, but his surprised lasted only long enough for Merlin to make a few strides before it morphed into fury.  
  
This time, Arthur was close enough to hear him swearing at Merlin.  Anger burned in his throat, but Merlin just scowled and ignored the shouted “Fuckin’ slut!” behind him as he pushed his way through the crowd.  The man shouted something else before he turned and was swallowed by the mass of dancers around them.  Arthur wanted to follow him and make him pay for thinking he could touch Merlin, could touch  _anyone,_  like that, but one look at Merlin’s face made him swallow his rage and reach out for his boyfriend.  
  
“Are you alright?” he asked, curling his hand around Merlin’s elbow and leaning low enough to be heard.  
  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Merlin sighed.  Arthur frowned.  
  
“What did he say to you?”  
  
“Nothing, really.  He was just an idiot,” Merlin said, but he wasn’t quite meeting Arthur’s eyes.  
 _  
Sod the boyfriend rule_ , Arthur thought viciously, and wrapped his arm around Merlin, slow enough to give him time to pull away if he wanted to.  Merlin stiffened for a second, and then melted into Arthur’s arms with a sigh against Arthur’s neck.  
  
“What did he say to you?” Arthur asked again, swaying them gently to the music around them.  The pleasant buzz he’d felt all evening had disappeared, leaving him feeling stone sober.  He heard Leon’s deep laughter behind them, followed by one of the girls’ shrill giggle, but ignored them.  
  
“The usual.  Said I was very talented, and how about a private performance?  I said no, I had a boyfriend, all that, but you know.”  Merlin shrugged and waved an absent hand.  “He was persistent.”  
  
Arthur tightened his grip on Merlin unconsciously.  “What do you mean ‘usual’?  Has this happened before?”  
  
Merlin bit his lip, but eventually nodded.  
  
“It used to happen all the time, back when I first started dancing and we were in clubs all the time for fundraisers and things.  People just assume things.  Usually it’s nothing more than a few comments, but sometimes people get handsy.  It happens, you know?”  
  
“That guy shouldn’t have fucking touched you,” Arthur said fiercely, pulling away a little in order to see Merlin’s face.  Merlin shrugged again, and Arthur could see that this had unsettled him more than he was willing to admit.  “Do you want to tell someone about him?”  
  
Merlin bit his lip, obviously considering it, before he shook his head.  “No.  No, I don’t want to make a fuss.  It’s not like he really did anything, anyway.”  
  
Arthur wasn’t quite sold on that one—he was pretty sure someone grabbing your crotch qualified as ‘doing something’, but Merlin was still speaking.  
  
“Let’s not ruin Lance’s night with this, yeah?” he said, moving his arms up to wrap around Arthur’s shoulders.  “We’re supposed to be having fun tonight.  He was just one drunken arsehole.”  He gave Arthur a squeeze, accompanied by a small but genuine smile.  “I’m fine.  Let’s just forget about it, okay?”  
  
Arthur exhaled through his nose.  Anger was still surging through him, but there wasn’t much he could do if Merlin didn’t want to say anything.  
  
“Okay,” he said, leaning forward to kiss Merlin’s forehead in an unusual display of affection.   They stayed that way for a moment, stealing what quiet they could as the crowd continued to dance around them.  Finally, Arthur shifted to murmur into Merlin’s ear, “If I see him again, I’ll punch his face in.”  
  
To his surprised delight, Merlin laughed.  “I won’t stop you,” he promised, kissing Arthur one more time before pulling away.  “Come on.  Let’s go back to the group.”  
  
Arthur allowed himself to be towed through the crowd towards their friends, who clearly hadn’t noticed anything amiss as they all danced together.  
  
“Oi, took you long enough!” Leon shouted when he saw them, arm slung around Mithian’s shoulders.  “Did you get lost?”  
  
“Something like that,” Merlin shouted back cheekily.  He still hadn’t let go of Arthur’s hand, and either no one saw, or they were all too drunk to remember the boyfriend rule.  Arthur found he didn’t much care either way, and draped a comforting arm around Merlin’s waist as their friends towed them into the group.  
  
“Just in time for shots!” Percy beamed at them, shoving a glass into each of their hands.  “To married bliss!”  
  
“To married bliss!” everyone laughed back, and quickly tossed back their shots.  Arthur joined in, but he kept an eye on Merlin, saw him laugh and smile with all of their friends, and could almost believe that he wasn’t bothered by what the guy had done.

\---

  
“That was fun.  That was  _really_ fun.  Tequila is nice.”  
  
“So you’ve said,” Merlin sighed, patiently, from under Lance’s arm.  
  
“Hmm,” Lance hummed, and started singing something that sounded suspiciously like a sonnet under his breath (and Arthur didn’t doubt it was—he had, after all, been present for Lance’s birthday, where he’d spent half an hour drunkenly reciting the balcony scene from  _Romeo and Juliet_  at Gwen; Lance was an extremely literate drunk).   Arthur exchanged an amused glance with Merlin as he ushered him, then the others through the door to his flat.  He heard Lance singing as Merlin led him slowly towards the guest room.  Leon didn’t even bother trying to get that far; he made straight for the sofa (or as straight as he was capable of at the moment), fell onto it, and was snoring within seconds.  
  
“I’m fucking starving,” Percy groaned, patting his stomach as he wandered into the kitchen.  Arthur didn’t miss the smug look Merlin sent his way when they heard Percy shout, “Oh, brilliant, crisps!”  
  
“D’you think Gwen had a good time tonight?” Lance asked loudly, apparently having given up his sonnets to think about his fiancée.  
  
“I’m sure—fuck, Lance, that’s the wall—I’m sure she did,” Merlin grunted, still doing his best to get Lance into the bedroom.  
  
“Good.  I love her a lot.  I wish she was here.”  
  
“Trust me, mate, you probably don’t.”  
  
Lance looked confused for a second, and then brightened.  “Nooo, brides don’t come to the stag do.  That would be  _weird_.”  
  
“Yeah,” Merlin laughed, “yeah it would.”  
  
“Gwen can trust me, though,” Lance said very seriously, nodding.  “’s why we went to the club, right?  ‘cos  _she_ …she is the one.  But we had a good time.”  He swung around suddenly, and Merlin nearly dropped him, but Lance didn’t seem to notice as he peered earnestly up at Merlin’s face.  “Merlin.  Thank you for being my stripper.”  
  
Arthur saw the brief second where Merlin’s body stiffened, but his boyfriend just smiled and said, “Any time,” before hauling Lance the rest of the way into the bedroom.  
  
After making sure Percy and Elyan didn’t kill themselves on their way to the other guest bedroom, Arthur made his way to his own room.  Merlin was already there, lying on his back in the middle of the bed, eyes closed.  Without a word, Arthur closed the door and started taking off his shirt, then his trousers, before climbing onto the bed beside him.  Merlin made a grumbling sound when the mattress dipped, but then Arthur started kissing his way up Merlin’s chest and it melted into a tiny smile.  
  
Neither of them said anything.  Arthur kept trailing kisses wherever he felt like it, trailing his lips over Merlin’s sternum, his collarbone, the shadow under Merlin’s jaw.  Merlin kept his eyes closed, but he brought one hand up to play with the hair at the nape of Arthur’s neck. When Arthur began trailing kisses over his face, Merlin used his grip on Arthur’s hair to bring their mouths together.  Arthur was more than happy to oblige, and allowed himself to be drawn into a kiss that bled straight into another, and another, until Merlin was lying completely relaxed beneath him.  
  
Gently, Arthur broke the kiss, shushing Merlin when he made to say something.  When he was satisfied that Merlin would obey him, he sat up just enough to be able to hook his fingers under Merlin’s shirt and tug at it.  He stripped Merlin down to his boxers, and then they were kissing again, warm skin pressed together from chest to toes.  Neither of them were hard just yet, but Arthur could feel the beginnings of arousal curl in his belly with each sigh breathed against his lips.  
  
Shivering a little, Arthur moved his hand from Merlin’s back down to press ever so gently against where Merlin’s cock was beginning to harden in his boxers, tasting Merlin’s startled gasp when he gave it a firm stroke through the fabric.  
  
“Arthur,” Merlin sighed, “we shouldn’t…what if they hear—“  
  
“No one will hear anything,” Arthur contradicted, biting Merlin’s lower lip.  “Besides, Leon’s snoring will definitely drown out any noise we make.”  
  
He was rewarded with Merlin’s huff of laughter and the quick, feather-light brush of lips against his.  
  
“Prat,” Merlin mumbled.  
  
Arthur chuckled and pulled Merlin onto his knees in order to strip off first his own, then Merlin’s, boxers.  They kissed again, eager fingers teasing at sensitive areas as their cocks hardened and bumped against each other, sending shivers down their spines and making them both eager for more.  Finally, Arthur decided enough was enough and pulled away to murmur, “Get the stuff?”  
  
Merlin hummed, nodded, and turned away to ferret the lube out of the drawer.  Arthur fell back onto the pillows, and when Merlin returned he was sprawled out on his back, one hand running lazily over his cock.  Merlin paused to take in the sight, making Arthur grin.  
  
“Come here,” he said, patting the mattress near his hips.  Merlin’s eyes flicked up to meet his, wearing a matching smirk.  
  
“Oh, I see how it is.  Get me all excited and then make me do all the work.”  
  
Arthur laughed, shaking his head.  “Not quite,” he said, and spread his legs even further, tilting his hips so that Merlin could have no doubt as to his meaning.  
  
He knew Merlin understood when his eyebrows shot up, but he didn’t say anything.  It wasn’t the first time Arthur had offered to bottom, but it certainly wasn’t all too common an occurrence.  But admit it or not, Arthur knew that something had been wrong with Merlin since the man at the club.  He’d been jittery and reserved ever since, and Arthur would do anything to help him feel better again.  If that meant giving up control in bed to Merlin, then so be it.  
  
“Come here,” he said again, and this time, Merlin obeyed.  
  
The lube was cold against Arthur’s skin when Merlin accidentally dripped some on him, but warm on Merlin’s fingers once he began to circle Arthur’s hole, a tease before he slid slowly, slowly inside.  Merlin took greater care than he probably needed to in preparing Arthur, but he didn’t complain, especially when Merlin leaned forward to tease him with gentle kisses.  
  
Finally, Merlin deemed him ready.  
  
“Get on your knees,” he murmured, shuffling back on the mattress to give Arthur enough room to maneuver.  Arthur obeyed, and as soon as he’d settled Merlin was back, pressed warm and familiar along his back.  He nipped at the back of Arthur’s neck playfully, and Arthur turned his head slightly to ask wordlessly for a kiss, which he was given gladly.  
  
“Ready?” Merlin asked.  Arthur could feel his erection against his balls as Merlin gave a tiny thrust, and the sensation sent another wave of arousal washing over him.  
  
“Yeah.  Yeah, just do it,” he replied, and Merlin left one last kiss against his neck before he sat up again.  
  
Arthur couldn’t see it, but he definitely felt it when Merlin began to slide inside, the blunt head of his cock so much wider than his fingers.  It burned, but not unbearably so, so when Merlin voiced a strained, “Alright?” Arthur merely grunted, “Harder,” and let his head fall when Merlin immediately obeyed.  
  
“Fuck,” he sighed, mostly to himself.  Merlin’s fingers curled around his hips, anchoring him as Merlin fucked in harder.  And that had been a surprise, the first time they’d done this—Arthur had always suspected Merlin would be a gentle top, and he was, but that didn’t mean he didn’t give it hard and fast when he wanted to.  It gave Arthur something of a thrill, to see his usually easy going boyfriend turn somewhat dominating.  
  
Merlin had been steadily building up a rhythm, so when it stopped suddenly Arthur’s head shot up, mouth open to complain, but then Merlin fell forward to drape himself along Arthur’s back, letting go of his hips to curl their fingers together on the mattress.  
  
He pushed his tongue into Arthur’s mouth and renewed his thrusts, and Arthur arched his back at the new,  _delicious_  angle.  Merlin’s balls slapped against his skin with a sound that seemed to echo in the room, but Arthur didn’t care at all.  Their kiss melted into nothing but open-mouthed panting as Merlin picked up the pace even more.  Arthur desperately wanted to reach for his cock, but he didn’t want to move and lose his balance so he kept his hands where they were, pushing desperately back on Merlin’s cock as Merlin groaned in his ear.  
  
“God—God, Arthur, I need to—“ Merlin panted, and a second later the warmth on Arthur’s back was gone as Merlin reared up onto his knees.  He seized Arthur’s hips again and dragged him back to meet every hard thrust, tiny gasps falling from his lips with every one.  Arthur carefully shifted to reach for his own cock, tugging in time with Merlin’s furious thrusts and groaning at the bliss of friction.  Merlin was hardly even pulling out anymore, just fucking in and in and  _in_  until finally Arthur felt his hips stutter and looked back just in time to see Merlin’s mouth drop open as he came, silent but for a sharp inhale.  
  
Breathing heavily, Merlin batted Arthur’s hand away from his cock as he pulled out.  Arthur grunted an objection, but was ignored as Merlin manhandled him around and pushed him onto the pillows, where Arthur fell into an undignified sprawl.  Arthur’s complaint died in his throat when Merlin immediately crawled between Arthur’s legs and took his straining cock into his mouth, sucking his cock without any sense of mercy.  
  
“Shit, Merlin, you’re gonna kill me,” Arthur gasped, hands flying to grip Merlin’s hair, but Merlin, the  _bastard_ , just hummed and continued his delicious torture.  How someone could suck cock so well after just coming so hard Arthur had no idea, but he was definitely not complaining.  
  
He was almost there, so desperately close to coming, when he felt one of Merlin’s fingers teasing around his used hole before dipping inside.  Arthur realized that Merlin was  _feeding his own come back into Arthur’s arse_ , and he couldn’t hold back anymore—he came down Merlin’s throat, not caring when Merlin choked a little in surprise.  It was what he got for being such an awful tease, Arthur decided, as he fell back on the pillows, doing his best to drag oxygen into his lungs.  
  
Merlin followed him a moment later, tucking himself against Arthur’s side with a contented hum and dragging his fingertips along Arthur’s stomach.  
  
“Jesus Christ,” he mumbled, throwing an arm over his eyes, “you really  _are_  going to kill me.”  Merlin laughed at him, but obligingly took his hand away and stood up to fetch a cloth.  
  
They fell back into silence as Merlin carefully cleaned them both up.  Arthur contemplated being embarrassed at the attention Merlin was giving his hole, but decided it wasn’t worth the energy when Merlin looked up at him with a fond, beautiful smile.  Clean up done, they crawled tiredly under the covers, which Merlin immediately burrowed into until Arthur could only see the top half of his face.  He reminded Arthur of a cat, blinking sleepily out at him.  
  
“Budge up,” he said, and Merlin moved only enough to give Arthur room to settle snugly against him, making a contented sound when Arthur threw an arm over his waist.  Arthur was starting to doze off, exhausted from the club and the sex, when Merlin spoke.  
  
“Thank you,” he said quietly, voice muffled a little by the blankets.  Arthur squeezed his waist.  
  
“You’re welcome,” he replied just as quietly.  There were probably more things that needed to be said, but for now, this was enough.  They looked at each other for a moment longer, and then Merlin moved the duvet just enough to be able to press a kiss against the tip of Arthur’s nose.  
  
“I love you, you incredible prat.”  
  
Arthur smiled and pulled Merlin even closer, murmuring, “Get some sleep.  Tomorrow we have to deal with the aftereffects of Lance’s tequila.”


End file.
